Our work
Our experts collaborate to identify challenges, define objectives and formulate solutions.
Heuristic evaluation offers long-term positive results
When early warnings and low ratings indicated potential issues with a newly released dishwasher, a natonal retailer’s product development team jumped on it. Online customer reviews said the control panel was confusing and hard to understand, and provided little to no detail, making it impossible to pinpoint the problem, much less solve it. To help them better understand customer painpoints, the product team asked D2 to “evaluate the operation of the dishwasher and the ease and understandability of using the buttons.”
Applying customer behavior expertise, we conducted a heuristic evaluation on a similar model, with the understanding that relevant recommendations could be applied to other dishwashers featuring a similar control panel and functionality. As part of the heuristic, we analyzed available data, researched competitive designs, and reviewed alternate panel mockups from the product team. We shared key findings with the product team, provided actionable recommendations, and collaborated on priority efforts.
Several updates to both the dishwasher and related communications were ultimately implemented to improve usability and overall customer experience. The control panel itself was redesigned for a clean, fresh, intuitive look. Product features, such as the number of cycles, LEDs, and sound indicators were improved. New on-product labels with information about features were added, faulty error codes were fixed, user manuals were expanded to include more information, and user-friendly FAQs were created.
Newer dishwashers showed positive comments about the control panel, indicating that it was intuitive, easy to use, convenient and had great controls. Star ratings also improved from 3.6 to 4.3 between the first and second model.
Five years later, product managers continued to recall the project and its long-term positive impact across an entire product line.
Driving a successful patent portfolio where others failed
Founded in 1999, PC Pitstop started as a free diagnostic website designed to improve the overall computing experience. In 2009, the company launched PC Matic, a comprehensive tool geared to support system maintenance and security. Foreseeing a rise in cyberattacks, CEO and Founder Rob Cheng further strengthened PC Matic with the introduction of innovative malware protection technology developed entirely in house. At first, the team didn’t realize their ideas were so patentable. D2 helped raise awareness but efforts to develop a patent portfolio with a “big-time law firm” failed. That’s when D2 had a chance to make a real difference.
Former colleagues at Gateway, Inc., D2 President Tony Olson and Rob knew each other well but were busy with new businesses. They hadn’t had much opportunity to work together again but stayed in touch. Having lead the patent program for Fortune 500 company, Gateway, Tony recognized the huge potential of PC Matic ideas. He talked to Rob about the value of patents and how he could use them as a competitive advantage, then helped develop a process for capturing new ideas. D2 applied a strong, unique, 3-legged stool approach to carefully review and analyze new ideas. This approach brings patent agents, who are required to have field engineering experience, together with other D2 experts with advanced technical and business experience. D2 managed all interaction with the U.S. Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) and set up an easy-to-use tool for tracking progress through the entire patent process.
The PC Matic team now has seen first-hand just how valuable innovation can be when it is managed properly. In the past three years alone, numerous patents have been granted by the USPTO, with many more applications in the pipeline. Now, not only is PC Matic known internationally for award-winning products, it has patents to back up and protect that innovation. Looking forward, a strong and growing patent portfolio will help increase company value, whether for investors or other business opportunities.
Creating high-impact email for a credit card provider
In the spring of 2019, we helped a national credit card service provider design and develop a unique marketing strategy for new customer personas. Their first priority executing on that strategy was partner web portals. Our new messaging almost immediately drove huge increases in web visits, applications and approvals. When they were ready to take on email marketing, they came to us again.
We applied the same customer-focused thought and insight to email messaging and creative that we apply to all projects. Because the web portal messaging we provided earlier was so powerful, our client had us write new taglines and feature bullets which were later added to brand guidelines to help make new language standard. New email design concepts reflected refreshed brand guidelines. Visuals and images were carefully crafted to appeal to defined audiences. Copy was tailored to “speak” to target audiences in a way that communicated desired messaging, conveyed empathy and offered helpful options. We made iterative adjustments to incorporate rigid Compliance guidelines and worked to accommodate technical requirements of the client’s email platform.
Our client loved the personable, approachable creative. They loved the message of hope and help that copy conveyed to potential customers. They appreciated D2 customer focus and creativity, as well as level of service and ability to meet changing needs and direction within a tight timeframe. In less than three months, online visits jumped an incredible 112% and applications increased 80%. The same approach that drove tremendous response to new web portal messaging proved effective in email messaging, proving once again that a customer-focused approach is always a win for everyone.
Web portal messaging for a credit card provider
In the spring of 2019, a national credit card service provider reached out
to D2 for help. Several years earlier, we’d rewritten contract, disclosure
and card carrier documents to make them user-friendly. We’d also
designed a digital marketing campaign to help improve customer
experience. Results were always positive so, when upper leadership
decided to target a new audience with new products, they contacted
us. Their request: design and develop a unique marketing strategy for
specific customer personas.
After spending time with our client to better understand and prioritize needs and goals, D2 communications experts brainstormed best ways to connect with specific personas while considering internal culture and challenges. As a financial
institution, our client had to meet stringent legal and ethical requirements. They had limited resources and were historically slow to change. While the marketing team had a clear vision, it needed a path toward implementing that vision in a way that was doable. We provided strategic marketing guidance, along with customer-centric messaging, like taglines and feature/benefit statements. We designed and developed mockups to help our client visualize how final output—web portals, email or other—might look. Everything, including messaging, styles, layout and imagery, reflected customer insight and respected brand image. To accommodate client implementation capabilities, the first channels tested with new messaging were partner web portals.
The results of new messaging exceeded all expectations. In less than four months, online visits jumped 67%, applications soared 99.6% and approval rates increased 51.6%. The better our client performed on web portals, the higher they moved up in search results. Even web partners were excited because their revenue stream increased as our mutual client performed better. And the only thing that changed was messaging—proof that the right words can be powerful.
More case studies
- Creating a branded, scalable TV menu
- Delivering high-visibility packaging for a tradeshow >
- Strong partnership results in amazing returns reduction >
- Designing a communications strategy for tablets >
- Reducing high AC adapter returns >
- Helping a B2B company market to consumers >
- Providing insight & innovation to grow business >
- Successfully supporting a TV mount launch >
- Reversing high TV returns & calls, low ratings >
